1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fiber separator for separating a bundle of fibers into individual fibers preferably for use in producing a fiber reinforced metallic or resin body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been developed a fiber reinforced metallic body using a reinforcing fiber such as alumina fiber, silica fiber, silicon carbide fiber, boron fiber, nitrosilicate fiber, carbon fiber or the like with a matrix metal such as aluminium, magnesium, titanium, copper or the like. Such a fiber reinforced metallic body has been used for various kinds of mechanical parts or structural members in many fields of industry.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No 62-27142 discloses an apparatus for producing such a fiber reinforced metallic body, which apparatus is of the following arrangement.
A drum with a bundle of such fibers as discussed above wound thereon is mounted for rotation at an inlet of the apparatus for supplying the fiber bundle into the apparatus. A pair of upper and lower fiber separating drums defining a nip therebetween are provided downstream of the fiber supply drum. The paired drums are forced to rotate for feeding the fiber bundle from the supplying drum through the nip. A fiber separator is provided between the supply drum and the paired fiber separating drums for blowing air onto the fiber bundle laterally or in a direction perpendicular to a fiber feed direction to thereby render the fiber bundle to be separated into individual fibers which are to be forced to pass through the drum nip. A plasma spray device for plasma-spraying a matrix metal, as discussed above, is provided downstream of the paired drums. Downstream of the plasma-spraying device, there are provided a heating device, a pressing device and a winding drum in this order. The separated fibers are forced to move toward the winding drum. While moving, the fibers are subjected to the plasma-spray of a molten metal or melt with the result that a prepreg sheet having a lower dense metallic surface and an upper spongy metallic surface is formed with the separated fibers being embedded within a metal deposition. The prepreg sheet thus formed is then softened using the heating device and is pressed using the pressing device to form a fiber reinforced metallic sheet, which is then wound on by the winding drum.
With the above prior art apparatus, however, there is a problem residing in that irregularity in a degree of fiber separation is likely to occur due to the blowing of a pressurized air with the result that a uniform fiber separation with a desired fiber orientation cannot be attained.
In this regard, a process has been proposed for use in preparation of a fiber reinforced resin body, wherein such fiber separation is effected while the fibers are forced to move through nips defined by a plurality of paired rollers. This, however, does not always attain a satisfactory effect in fiber separation.